Seniors Start to "Get In"

Dameyonna Willis (left)

Dameyonna was accepted to Lourdes College. Dameyonna plans to study Public Administration or Urban Planning in college. She has worked at the Cleveland Indians throughout her four years at Saint Martin, including during school breaks. Outside of the classroom Dameyonna is involved in Jewels & Gents, Student Senate, Track, and Cheerleading. Dameyonna will be the first member of her family to attend college. 

Shaylise Randle (middle)

Shaylise was accepted to Ohio University. Shaylise plans to study Psychology in college. She currently works at  Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff and has previously worked at Life Line Screening of America, and Child and Family Services. Outside of the classroom Shaylise is involved in Student Senate, the Saint Martin Recruiting Force, and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Barbara Parish (right)

Barbara was accepted to Cuyahoga Community College. In college Barbara plans to study Pharmacology. She currently works at Wickens Herzer Panza Cook & Batista and has also worked at John Carroll University as well as Thompson Hine. Outside if the classroom Barbara is involved in Student Senate, the Saint Martin Recruiting Force, and the Track team.

Advent Devotional: Monday 12/19

Advent Devotional for Monday, 19 December 2011

Week 4: PEACE

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Reflecting on this passage, I thought of a Jesuit paradox with which I have only recently become familiar: “Pray as if everything depends on you but act as if everything depends on God.”

The passage also led me to reflect on a very different source, and I apologize in advance for the sports reference. Tom Brady is the quarterback for the New England Patriots and has led his team to three Super Bowl titles. He is known for his calm demeanor especially in high-pressure games. If St. Paul were observing Brady, he might note that his “gentleness” is evident to all.

I once heard Brady discuss why he does not get nervous before big games. His answer was that he does not get anxious because when you prepare as thoroughly as he does, the game ought to be a celebration.

I would imagine that Tom Brady combines his physical and mental preparation for games with prayer. Through his physical, mental, and spiritual preparation, Brady is proceeding as if everything depends on him. Once game time has arrived, he is at peace, his heart and mind are “guarded” and his play is a celebration.

Keith Laschinger, Vice President, Advancement

Advent Devotional: Friday 12/16

Advent Devotional for Friday, 16 December 2011

Week 3: JOY

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor

Isaiah 61:1-3

Baby Jesus is coming in 9 days! Imagine Mary holding this small child. A baby boy with fragile hands and feet, that new baby smell and his eyes closed, sleeping and dreaming while his quiet birth in the manger changed the world forever. God chose this small baby as the one who would grow up to bind up the brokenhearted, free those in physical and emotional captivity and set an example to show others the way to the kingdom of God. That was Jesus’ purpose.

Now put yourself in the picture.

Many people awaited your birth with the same excitement we see in our preparations for Christ. You had your own 9-month Advent season.  So many waited for you during that time in preparation and anticipation.  The annunciation of your birth, many visitations of family and friends preparing a place for you and the day when your mother first held you and others gathered, thanking God for this beautiful gift that He had given.  Just as God chose Jesus for the purposes written in Scripture, so too did He choose you with a verse written and purpose set out in the same way.

Wait! My purpose has been written down in the Bible, the most published and translated book in history? I’m still trying to figure out what God’s plan is for me!

Let me rephrase. Jesus never saw his purpose written out and spent 30 years of his life discovering it until He was ready to begin His ministry, which included the parables and miracle stories we are all familiar with.  While we might not know the exact verse God has written for us, we learn and discover that verse each day from the little miracles that we experience and create. We carry within us the image of Christ and find our own ways to express that. The expression of Christ within us is our purpose. We teach, advise, counsel, empower, love and care for each other and ourselves each day and Christ’s birth reminds us to look back on our year and see how we have done all of these things in his image and likeness. It is in small moments of love and care that we change the world and continue to walk on our path, carefully and purposefully designed by God.  We choose to be Christ for others and those choices help us to understand the verse God has written for us a little more each day.

So this Christmas, who are you? Look back on your year. What do you have to say for yourself? Are you who God has called you to be? Look ahead to the next year. What can you do to discover your verse? How can you continue to walk on the path that God has made for you, the one He knew since before you dreamed and slept quietly in your mother’s arms?

Angela Siegel, Jesuit Volunteer

Advent Devotional: Thursday 12/15

 Advent Devotional for Thursday, 15 December 2011

Week 3: JOY

Joy of the Redeemed

¹ The desert and the parched land will be glad;
   the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
   it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
   the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
   the splendor of our God.

³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
   steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
   “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
   he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
   he will come to save you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
   and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
   and streams in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
   the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
   grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

⁸ And a highway will be there;
   it will be called the Way of Holiness;
   it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
   wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion will be there,
   nor any ravenous beast;
   they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
 ¹⁰ and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
   everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
   and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:1-10

When has God not been there for you? God is always there no matter what.  You could be going through some tought times, and yet He is still there.  You could even hate Him or dislike Him, but you know what, He is there.  Everything and everyone has a purpose, God has everything under control.  Sometimes I ask God, "Who am I? Why am I here? Why am I in this school?" And you know what I do, I wait for Him to answer me, and that is not the right thing to do.  That is my mistake that I have to learn from.  That is a mistake everyone makes, but we must stop making that mistake.  God wants to use us, but if we are not willing, if we are not putting our effort and our action into the situation, then don't blame Him for not answering, blame yourself for not acting.

I have dedicated my life to God.  God is the number 1 thing in my life.  Nothing and no one can ever surpass Him.  He gave me life.  He saved me.  He was there when I was born, and you know what, He is still here.  We all must dedicate our time to God.  We must dedicate everything to Him.  We must not act like any other human, but we must act like God.  We must live the way Jesus did.  God gave his only son Jesus for us, and He saved us, so Let's live like He did, and lets open our eyes so we can see the path ahead of us.  Let's unplug our ears and let's hear what God has to say.  Let's stop being lame and jump and feel the Holy Spirit.  Let's open our mouths and scream praises to God.  It says in Isaiah, "And when He comes, He will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!" (Isaiah 55:5-6) We have no excuses; God is here.  So if He is here then we should let Him heal our lameness so we can leap.  We should let Him open our mouths so we can sing to Him.  On this day let's dedicate our lives to God and let's accept Him into our lives.  If you want there is this Spanish song that is beautiful: "Promesas" by Felsy Jones.  It means Promises in English.

God has many promises He has made us and He will always keep them.

Written by: Victor Rosa, Class of 2014

Advent Devotional: Monday 12/12

Advent Devotional for Monday, 12 December 2011

Week 3: JOY

“For just as from the heavens, the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats.  So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it”

Isaiah 55: 10-11 

Before coming to Saint Martin, I had lived in Africa for a number of years.  There were two seasons where I lived:  the rainy season and the dry season.  Each season lasted about 6 months.  During the dry season, there was not a drop of rain for 6 months.  By the end of the dry season, the parched earth was hard as rocks from the scorching heat; the trees were barren of any leaves; the red dust found its way into every nook and cranny.  What amazed me was that when the first rains came, this barrenness sprang to life and became luscious.  Several months into the rainy season, the parched earth turned into a fertile garden that produced crops and all sorts of fruit trees.  Everyone was exuberant because of the new life that the rains brought to everyone.

When I read the passage from Isaiah, this vivid experiences returns to me.  God brings joy to all people by the way creation produces life for all.  In the same way, God’s word brings life and joy to people.  Yet, sometimes we humans interrupt this life-giving cycle of creation.  Once again I am reminded of Africa.  During the time that I lived there, out of great need, people began to cut down most of the trees in the area to make charcoal to be used for cooking.  As the trees were cut down and the deforestation became greater, the rains came later and tapered off sooner.  The 6 months of rain were reduced to 4 months.  The harvests were meager; hunger and disease became more widespread.  The luscious garden created by God was being turned into barrenness.

In reflecting on this passage and the meaning of Advent, I am reminded to renew my efforts to restore the creation that God has created.  I am reminded to continue eco-friendly practices, to be “green.”  If I can contribute to reversing the destruction of our earth, I am contributing to the spread of joy throughout the world.  I am providing hope for our world because we all depend on the earth for our livelihood.  May this Advent be a time of joy and hope for all!

Written by: Steve Suding, Vice President of Mission

Advent Devotional: Friday 12/9

Advent Devotional for Friday, 9 December 2011

Week 2: HOPE

I thank my God every time I remember you.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and,

whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Philippians 1:3-9

We are all part of a story, a story which we call Life. We live it and we overcome the struggles in it, but we never do anything alone. We have God to lead us out of our personal darkness. At times we do not realize the strength and encouragement that we acquire, nor do we know where it comes from. Have you thought to think about the people who pray for you, the people who believe in you and those who commemorate you as a loving child of God?

Each and every one of us are created in the DIVINE image of God. We are not created in any image but a divine image; an image that we are to see as perfect and God-like beyond our imaginations. With this image God brought upon our heart things we may never understand. We care because it is in our nature and those who care for us, pray for us. We have to look after one another so that we may move forward along side of God. He leads us all without leaving us behind. So, remember those people so that you may give them strength as they, without you knowing, bless you with their strong prayers.

Selina Pagan, class of 2014